At the Caffeinate and Chat, I picked up a Snickerdoodle from the pile of cookie bribes. I am behind in my word count this year, and I've never been behind like this before (even the year I didn't win, I was on track until I got stuck and ended up just quitting). So I grabbed a cookie, labeled it with a random sticker of some kind, crossed out whatever was one it and wrote 7000 Total Words. I knew that I needed to hit 7000 to catch up, and it was a nice round number. And while I'd love to say that I hit the goal last night, I didn't. I hit it this "morning" (morning being defined as the time between when I wake up and when I send my husband off to work, so about 1-3:30pm). I have never enjoyed a cookie so much. It was delicious. Who else took a cookie at the Caffeinate and Chat? What word count goal did you put on it? Have you been able to eat it yet?
Also, what other bribes do you guys have in place? I went through my Halloween candy and labelled each piece with a word count. So I have a fun-size candy bribe for every 500 words until about 12500, which is the point where I hope I won't need the bribes to get me writing anymore. My next BIG bribe though, is catching up to the daily goal. When I do that, I get to watch the episode of 90210 that's waiting on my DVR. I think our online write-in will get me that one. And then I think maybe I'll gift myself with a 20-30 minute workout when I hit 10k. Too many candy bribes will make me feel like a cow. And working out is fun (on the Wii Fit Plus, anyway).
----------
30 Days of Prewriting: maidenfine.wordpress.com
2006 - I'm Afraid I Have to Kill You Now (Unfinished)
2007 - Elemental (Winner)
2008 - Hunting Lark (Winner)
2009 - Becoming Flair
86,891 / 50,000
Nov 5, 2009 - 14 45
I didn't get a cookie last night; however, I did take a plot ninja and now I find myself writing a scene about a duel! You know how warlike those ninjas are!
It was fun to take a break last night from writing and get to know some of the other participants. Thanks to everyone at the library for bringing us together.
51,256 / 50,000
Nov 6, 2009 - 14 25
At the grocery store last night, a GREAT SELECTION OF CHOCOLATE-BASED BRIBES jumped into my cart and will be available at upcoming Topeka Nanowrimo writing events for "motivational adoption"!!!
Write 2000 words, get a candy bar. That's my new motto!
----------Perhaps my entire novel can be written during hours and minutes that my toddler is sleeping. Perhaps not.
65,246 / 50,000
Nov 6, 2009 - 18 56
Candy-based bribe I've used even in non-NaNo situations, when the words want to be difficult and not flow:
Take a small, fun-size bag of M&Ms. Can be either plain or peanut, doesn't matter. Open said bag and count how many are in there. In a peanut bag, it's usually about 9. In a plain, it's close to 20, I think. For each 100 words written, you can have one (and JUST ONE) M&M.
Of course I tried this with a bag of dark chocolate peanut M&Ms earlier, and this basic premise worked great for about 2 writing sessions. Then the bag just kind of mysteriously disappeared. Personally, I think there was some kind of hole in the space/time continuum and they fell through it. That's my story, anyway, and I'm sticking to it.
----------"The beauty of art is that there are no rules."
~Mia Michaels
45,413 / 50,000
Nov 7, 2009 - 14 41
This might sound bad, but my bribe for myself last night was "Break 10K, you get cough medicine". Considering how bad my head was throbbing from my coughing, that was pretty good motivation. Got 10K, got my cough medicine, and then wrote a few more words, LOL.
I think today's bribe might be hit 12K and I can a sleeping pill or something, LOL. I seem to do most of my writing at night, though I'm trying to do some today, right now. That, or my coffee ice cream. I'm wanting it, but I need to write, LOL. Hmm, 100 words, I get a bite.
----------Twitter: Sarah_CB
Plurk: sarah_tm2ts
NaNoBlog: thewriter.sigsnmore.com
PersonalBlog: http://tm2ts.sarahsmidntfantasy.com
GoogleWave: tm2ts_blog@googlewave.com
50,363 / 50,000
Nov 7, 2009 - 16 04
I was bribing myself with Halloween candy (after the success of the cookie) but I wrote so many words on Thursday, I decided I don't really want chocolate anymore. So it's stopped working. I have some reading rewards set up for a book that I've been looking forward to. But those rewards don't start until I'm halfway to the finish line. I also have a Finish line reward set up that I think will be nice, but I'm not sure if we'll be able to afford it when the end of the month gets here. I'm thinking maybe an episode of FlashForward should be my reward for hitting 5k for the day.
----------30 Days of Prewriting: maidenfine.wordpress.com
2006 - I'm Afraid I Have to Kill You Now (Unfinished)
2007 - Elemental (Winner)
2008 - Hunting Lark (Winner)
2009 - Becoming Flair
45,413 / 50,000
Nov 7, 2009 - 16 21
My husband has to pick up some milk and Tylenol (I have no idea how but a whole bottle just disappeared. I think I took it to RenFest last month and lost it. Oops.). So, he asked me if I wanted anything. I told him a Frap (bottled), and a king size cookies and cream bar (I have a slight problem with white chocolate ... I can't get enough of it, LOL). I'm not allowed to have *either* until I hit my words. I'm at 11,195 right now, so only about 500 words to go. If I stop procrastinating, I just might actually make it LOL.
----------Twitter: Sarah_CB
Plurk: sarah_tm2ts
NaNoBlog: thewriter.sigsnmore.com
PersonalBlog: http://tm2ts.sarahsmidntfantasy.com
GoogleWave: tm2ts_blog@googlewave.com
5,897 / 50,000
Nov 19, 2009 - 14 13
If you want tasty bribes, there are chocolate drenched cherries that are WAY too sugary for me, but they are in the Christmas aisle for a buck fifty. 350 words, one cherry :)
I like chocolate covered potato chips, Twix, or cereal. Starvation is good too. After six days of not eating, a piece of bread goes very nicely with 10,000 words...
Then again, I'm behind, so my advice may not be worth so much.
-----------Klane